IMPHAL, July 1: The Eastern Liangmai Chiefs/Chairmen Association (ELCCA) issued a “firm and resolute” statement in regards to the “wish list” of the Kuki community and the proposed construction of the so-called “German Road” or “Tiger Road,” intended to connect Kangpokpi to Churachandpur through “Naga ancestral territories”.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ELCCA said, “Let it be known that there is no such road in the past, present, or future recognized as the German, Tiger or Lion Road in our ancestral land”.
These names are fabricated and hold no legitimacy in “our history, tradition or land records”, said the ELCCA.
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Any move to impose such fictitious infrastructure projects within “Naga territory” will be regarded as an act of aggression and a blatant provocation, it cautioned.
“Any forceful or deceitful attempt to intrude into our ancestral domain under the guise of development will be met with unrelenting resistance. Let there be no illusion that such actions risk triggering widespread unrest and violence that could lead to other communal conflicts in the region”, the Liangmai body also said.
Those who choose to ignore this warning will bear full responsibility for the consequences, it warned.
The ELCCA then called upon the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to act with wisdom and urgency.
Supporting or permitting this Kuki’s “wish list” would constitute a reckless endorsement of territorial encroachment and would severely endanger fragile inter-community relations in the region, it further said.
The Government of India must ensure that no infrastructure project under any name or pretext violates the territorial sanctity of Naga lands, it added.
The statement of the ELCCA then said, “In the interest of lasting peace and security, we also demand the immediate dismantling of all Suspension of Operation (SoO) camps of Kuki militant groups located in close proximity to Naga-inhabited areas”.
These camps pose a serious threat to peace and remain a constant source of intimidation and insecurity for our people. Their continued presence will not be tolerated, the ELCCA stated.
The ELCCA then said the Eastern Liangmai people are a peace-loving community, “but we will not remain passive in the face of deceit, provocation, or occupation”. The ELCCA added that “we are the rightful guardians of our land, and we will defend it by all means necessary”. (NNN)
